Why does BBC keep disappearing???

[argoat]

Hi hoping someone can help with a very annoying satellite situation!

We recently bought a Metronics satellite receiver from Briconautes and moved the dish to the Astra 2 satellite for BBC etc. For a few weeks everything was grand but since...!

We keep losing reception of all the BBC channels with, for example, those on 10773 completely disappearing and at the first hint of bad weather, sometimes even when weather is good, those BBC channels up the scale, ie BBC1 Scotland etc, shake and disappear too, even though the quality and signal reception indicators say everything is fine.

We are on the right satellite, can receive all the channels we don't want with no problem at all - Gems TV anyone? -  but can't rely on  a BBC signal. It is particularly annoying as our son is recuperating after an operation and really loves CBeebies.

Is my box faulty, is the satellite dish not quite lined up right, does the length of the cable run affect things, should I buy a bigger dish, or save up and buy a Sky box???

Please someone help!

PS We are in central Brittany if that makes any difference to reception!

 

 

 

 

[Bugsy]

First. Have you checked you're signal strength. Press Services, then 4, then 6.

If it's down, you have an aerial problem or, less usual, a poor connection on the cable.

Both the wind and bad weather can affect signal strength.

If you can get to your dish, and are able to yourself, buy (off ebay) a cheap satellite signal-strength meter. They don't find specific satellites but read the signal strength of the one you are lined up to.

A final tip, you can increase the signal strength by turning the LNB on the dish up to 18 degrees clockwise.

Keep at it................

 

[Martin963]

I don't think our enquirer is using a Sky box so the signal strength meters won't come up that way.

Anyway,  it does seem likely that it's a dish mis-alignment problem.  However,  the fact that it's worse on the BBC leads me to suggest the following.

Viewing your dish from the front (ie you're in front of it looking northwards) loosen the grip round the LNB and twist it CLOCKWISE by about 10 degrees.  Tighten up again.

Now (if necessary) re-align the dish but do it whilst watching (or listening on radio) to a BBC channel.  I mention radio because on some boxes the signal meters stay on screen the whole time when you've got the radio part in action. 

For some reason the BBC transponders on 2D seem to have a very slight slanted polarisation,  and this is exacerbated by the need to twist the LNB further and further round as the desired satellite is situated further and further from due south.

Post again if this doesn't work,  hope your son makes good progress.

 

PS  Sorry,  realise that I'm not awake this morning and that I'm repeating the good advice already given.  Mes excuses profondes!

[argoat]

Thanks for your help guys, back up on the roof for me then!

Have seen some cheap - 15 euros or so - strength meters on Ebay, would that help me out do you think? 

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="argoat"]

Thanks for your help guys, back up on the roof for me then!

Have seen some cheap - 15 euros or so - strength meters on Ebay, would that help me out do you think? 

[/quote]

How are you lining it up ? Do you have a line-of-sight to a tv to assess the changes on or are you relying on 'reports' from a 3rd party?

The latter is much harder. 

I find it's easier to fine-tune a dish when the signal is attenuated (reduced). Try a damp face-cloth draped over the plastic cap of the LNB. Then adjust the tracking, and the height, and finally the twist (skew).

Don't forget to take the face cloth off again (No, seriously; I once had the ladder back in the shed before I realised !)

p

[Anton Redman]

[quote user="argoat"]

Thanks for your help guys, back up on the roof for me then!

Have seen some cheap - 15 euros or so - strength meters on Ebay, would that help me out do you think? 

[/quote]

Once you have found the correct satellite they do not really help. All digital satllite receivers I have seen have a signal. strength and quality display which you can find somewhere in the menu structure. The brico depot special I now use for UK radio is more accurate and more sensative that the SKY digibox. It may be worth replacing the nuts with wingnuts so you can slacken and tighten them without spanners.

[mmaddock]

What size dish do you have? 

We initially had a 45cm dish, and the signal was poor - when it rained hard, watching anything was impossible.  I put a 60cm dish up and it made a huge difference.  The UK broadcasting signals gets weaker the further away from the UK you get, so you need a bigger dish to pick them up.

Matt